March 31 remains the firm deadline for purchasing health insurance

Mar. 11, 2014

Written by

Free Press Medical Writer

Procrastinators be warned: Federal health officials plan to stick with the March 31 deadline to obtain health insurance under the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

In fact, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services said earlier today it doesn't have the legal authority to push back the deadline.

The department also released its monthly enrollment report, which shows that at least 144,587 Michiganders so far have chosen plans through the Michigan Health Insurance Marketplace, or state exchange — a slice of the 4.2 million Americans who found coverage between Oct. 1 and Feb. 28.

Overall, 83% of enrollees were eligible for tax credits to pay for the policies, said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

“What we're finding is that as more Americans find just how affordable marketplace insurance can be, more are enrolling,” she said.

She and others said they expect a surge of enrollment as the March 31 deadline approaches. After that date, only those with qualifying life events, such as a birth, divorce, loss of employer insurance or move to another state, or membership in a special population such as a federally recognized American Indian tribe, will be allowed to purchase policies either on or off the exchange.

The report today offers only a partial look at enrollment and questions still linger about the overall impact of the law.

It does not address, for example, how many of those consumers who have chosen plans were uninsured last year and who had insurance that was canceled under the law. That information is collected from consumers, but is still incomplete, officials said.